Improvement in bee-hives



N. ZIMMERMAN.

BEE-HIVE.

Patented May15, 1877.

73 {ma Mama Mme.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

NATHAN ZIMMERMAN, OF GRANVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN BEE-HIVES.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 190,94 7, dated May 15, 1877 application filed April 11, 1877.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it "known that I, NATHAN ZTMMERMAN, ot' Granville, Mifflin county, State of Pennsyl- Vania, have invented newand useful Improvements in BeeHives, that 1 style the Keystone Bee-Hive and 1 do hereby declare that the following is an exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, making a part of this specification, in which Figure 1 represents a front elevation of the bee-hive, and the same as the rear elevation, the front and rear views being alike, each with half-doors B BBB-a door to each apartment-and slides J J from front to rear. Fig. 2 shows a side view of the hive, the right and left sides being alike, exhibiting the four sections or apartmentsO O G O, with their upright partition D, incline floors E E E E, movable honey-frames G G G G, and crossslides H H. Fig. 3 shows a front and top view of the eight movable honey-frames G. Fig. at shows a side view of one of the honeyframes G as operating on a wire hinge, K, and the obliqueangular shape of the frame G, to correspond with the incline floors E; also a movable flatcover, N, to slide over and rest upon the top of the honey-frames G.

The nature of my invention consists in the construction, arrangement, and combination of the several devices of the bee-hive, coming the main breeding part below. By closing the slides either colony is separated from any other colony, and the bees are forced to raise queens while the bees are making four swarms at one time, and either section of frames, upper or lower, can be safely removed with its own swarm.

A represents the apertures for the bees to enter at either side of the bee-hive, both sides, front and rear, being alike, and having four half-doors, B B B B, that are intended to be opened at any time desired, for the purpose of looking in at either one of the sections or apartments 0 O O O, to draw out a single colony or swarm of bees without disturbing any of the other sections. D is the central upright partition between the four apartments 0, in which are four apertures with slides J and H, to allow the bees to pass through when open, or to be shut off. E E are the incline floors. G G are the honey-frames, eightmore or less-to each section 0. They are of an oblique angular shape, to correspond with the incline floor E, and operate on and are supported by a swivel wire hinge, L, at top, and can be removed from either apartment 0 whenever required. M M are round apertures in the floors E, for the bees to pass through from the lower to the upper apartments.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The bee-hive consisting of apartments U U G O, with separate and oblique movable angular honey-frames G G G G on swivel wire hinges L L, and having moving flat covers N N over the honey-frames G, and the half-doors B B B B, dividing a whole colony of bees into four swarms, when constructed and arranged substantially as described.

NATHAN ZIMMERMAN.

Witnesses:

J. S. RAKERD, J. W. KAYS. 

